The “Human Toll” indeed

It detailed all of the pain that would be generated from some of the cuts to Medicaid that are being discussed. The comment that I placed on this post is below.

Some time around to 2005, I questioned former Rep. Fritchey on the 13% increase in school enrollment and the 157% increase in school funding. His reply?

“Yeah, but that all went to pensions.”

As all the “human tolls” are collected in the upcoming budget cuts, there is only one place to put almost all the blame.

It falls on the legislators who voted for every mandate, every payroll expansion, and every pension benefit increase in the last 10-20 years.

The facts speak for themselves. Unwilling to say no to the powerful spending, borrowing, and taxing interests, these folks (in both parties) voted future generations of Illinoisans into pension poverty and tax increase hell.

You are all now left with a choice. Fund the pension payroll, perks monster you created, or fund government services.

If the taxpayers are asked to do more, which is not an entirely unreasonable request under dire circumstances, the very least you can do is put a stiff, enforceable, and robust constitutional amendment on the ballot.

That amendment should place hard spending caps on all governmental entities, with virtually NO exceptions, and such a cap should be raised only upon a referendum, preferably requiring a super-majority of some sort.

Taxpayers should realize such a cap is worth the cost, and government employees and elected officials should realize taxpayers deserve nothing less after their decades long ride on the debt and pension gravy train.

It is NOT the taxpayer that is to blame for this situation. It is the legislature and the spending interests that purchased them. We can fund services, or we can fund out-sized benefits for too many public employees. Your choice.

The video is of appearance on WPWR’s (Channel 50) “Perspective” program a few months ago. You may be interested in the other 3 guests, as they make the conventional case for dumping more money into a failed education system. If not, my stint starts at the 11:22 mark.